Electric switch



H. A. DOUGLAS ELECTRIC SWIT Jan. 20, 1931..

Original Filed June 14, 1929,

Patented Jan. 20, 1931 PATENT OFFICE HARRY A. DOUGLAS, OF BRONSON, MICHIGAN nnno'rmc swrron Original application filed June 14,

My invention relates to electric switches and has a number 'ofobjects and advantages in vieW,-the present invention being a division of my original application, Serial No.

'5 370,865, filed-June 14,1929.

i, A switch constructed in accordance with one characteristic of the invention is inclusive of a. contact actuating member, preferably in the form of a plunger, a spring operable upon this member to move'it to one of two alternative positions to. eitect one circuit adjustment, said member being movable against the force of said spring to the other alternative position to effect another circuit adjustment and a lock having an adjus able member operable thereby and engageable with the contact actuating member tohold the latter member in the position to which it is placed against the force of said spring. In

the preferred embodiment of the invention the lock, in itself being operated, operates upon the adjustable lock'inember to withdraw this member from its holding engage ment with'the contact actuating member.

In accordance with another characteristic of the invention I employ a coupling having two complemental members,'one in a unitary structure with the element, such as an ignition circuit transformer for, which the circuit t that is governed by the switch isprovided. and the other in a. unitary structure with the lock, the lock including adjustable means op.-

- erable thereby and engageable with the contact actuating member and with the coupling member that is in a unitary structure with the aforesaid element to hold the contact actuating'member in the position to which it isplacedagainst the force of saidspring and 40 to lock the two coupling members together position. These coupling members are desirably locked "together when the lock controlling key is removed from the lock, so that the suitching mechanism and the transformer or other element controlled thereby are not separable when the key is absent. In the preferred embodiment of the invention the complemental coupling members constitute two parts 01"- a housing that encloses the transplunger.

when the contact actuating member is in this 1929, Serial No. 310,865. Divided and this application filed February 3, 1930. Serial No. 425,545.

former or other element and the switch 9011- trolling the same.

The invention Wlll be more fully explained in connection with the accompanying drawing in which Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional he electric switch illustrated includes a contact actuating plunger 1 on which is rigidly secured an inverted U-shaped bracket 2. This bracket carries a bridgingleaf spring contact arm 3'which is secured, at its midj portion, to the base-0f the bracket. The right hand end of the contact arm 3 is in constant engagement -with an elongated contact 4 which is provided upon an insulating carrier 5. The other end of the contact armB is brought into .and. out of engagement with the contact 6' also carried upon the mounting 5.

Asillustrated' when the plunger is-inwardly depressed to its limit the contacts 8 and 6 are separated and when the plunger is in its outermost position these contacts are engaged. A coiled spring 7 is desirably received within the hollow inner end of the plunger 1, this springpressing, at its inner end, upon an abutment 8 and, at its outer end, upon the lV-hen the plunger is moved inwardly to open the circuit governed by the switch it compresses the spring 7. 'When this spring is free to expand it automatically places'the switch-in a circuit closing position. As illustrated the plunger is held in a circuit opening position by means of an adjustable member 9. This adjustable member is in the form of an arm which is pivotally mounted at 10. The arm has an arcuate the larger parts of the plunger etween which the part 12 intervenes. The spring 7 forces one of them, to

the right hand one of these two larger parts of the plunger against the arm 9 which thus serves as a stop to prevent the spring from moving the plunger to a circuit closing position. The adjustable member or .arm 9 is controlled by a lock. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated this lock is inclusive of a stationary shell 13 having diametrically opposite wide slots 14 formed therethrough and enclosing a rotatable tumbler barrel 15 which carries tumblers 16. In the absence of a key these tumblers roject into said slots 14, or

iiold the tumbler barrel from rotation, the lock then being in locking adjustment. When the key 17 is inserted it withdraws the tumblers from the slot or slots 14 that received the ends of the tumblers so that the tumbler barrel may then be turned by turning the key. Thetumbler barrel carries a pin 18 which projects inwardly from the inner end of. the barrel and is located upon one side of the barrel axis. The adjustable lock controlled member or arm 9 is held in engagement with this pin by means of a spring 19. When the tumbler barrel is turned to a position in which the tumblers are in register with the slots 14 and in which position the key 17 may bewithdrawn, the pin 18 permits the spring 19 to turn the arm 9 in a clockwise direction to engage this arm with the plunger 1. If the plunger is fully pressed inwardly the notch 11 will receive the reduced plunger portion 12 to hold the plunger in its depressed position. If the plunger is not depressed, the arm 9 will engage the larger part of the plunger that is to the right of the plunger portion 12, the arrangement being such that the plunger may thereafter be depressed, whereupon the locking engagement of the member 9 with the plunger will be established upon the reception of the plunger part 12 within the' notch 11. When the plunger is thus held in its depressed position, the circuit governed by the switch is closed. When the key is inserted and is turned to turn the tumbler barrel the member 9 is withdrawn from holding engagement with the plunger, whereupon the spring 7 places the plunger in its outer and circuit closing position. The

-switch of my invention is of particular service in controlling the ignition circuit of the internal combustion engine of an automotive vehicle. lVhcn the invention is thus employed the abutment 8 may also be the magnctizablc core of a transformer whose priinary2U is directly in series with the switch and whose secondary 21 is in serial relation with the grounded interrupter 22 and the rotating arm 23 of a timer switch, the stationary contacts of this switch being connected withthe sparking plugs 24.

In the preferred embodiment of the inventiona housing is provided for the switch and transformer, this housing serving to guard against unauthorized access to the switch and transformer. This-housing is desirably made in two portions 25, 26, these portions being held in assembly by a screw 27. The stationary shell 13 of the lock is desirably rigidly secured to the front wall of the housing portion 25 and to a partial partition 28 that is secured to and within the housing portion 25, the shell being between said front housing wall and said partition. The plunger 1 passes through said front housing wall and through the dash board or other mounting 29 which carries the housing. The housing portions 25 and 26 are desirably in telescopic relation, the portion 26 being preferably inserted within the inner end of the portion 25. These two housing portions are provided with motion limiting formations 30 and 31 which define the extent to which the housing portion 26 may be inserted within the housing portion 25.

The housing portion 25 is thus in one unitary structure with the lock and the housing portion 26 is in one unitary structure with the transformer. In order to prevent the separation of the two housing portions while the lock key is withdrawn and while the circuit of the transformer primary 20 is locked open I cause the adjustable lock member 9 to hold the housing portions to gether. To this end an arm 32 is carried by and projectsforwardly from the housing portion 26. This arm has an opening 33 in its forward end in which the prong 34 of the arm 9 is received when the key is withdrawn and preferably whether or not the plunger is fully depressed. The housing portion 25 and the housing portion 26 in conjunction with the arm 32 thus constitute two complemental coupling members one in a unitary structure with the lock and the other in a unitary structure with the transformer, the lock adjustable means 9 being a part of the unitary structure that includes the housing portion 25 and the lock If the housing portion 26 should be rear-.

wardly pulled upon the partition 28 will cooperate with the member 9 to resist this action, this said member 9 being thereb protected. Certain claims relating to lock switch arc includedin the originalof this application, hitherto mentioned Having described my invention, 1 0131111? 1. An electric switch including a contact actuating member; a spring operable upon this member to move it to one'ot two alterna 'tive posit-ions to effect one circuit'adjustment, said memberbeing movable, against the force of said spring, to.the. other alternative position to effect 7 anothercircuit adjustment; an element for which'thecircuit controlled by the switch is provided; a lock;

and a: coupling having two eomplemental members, one in a unitary structure with'the aforesaid element for which 'the circuit is provided and 'the otherin a- 'u'nita struc:

ture with the lock, said lock incluing 'ad--;

ing member is in this position.

2. An electric switch including a contact actuating plunger; a spring pressing outwardly upon theplungerand serving to place it in its. outer position to effect one circuit adjustment, said plungerbing movable inwardly, against the force of said spring, to an alternative'position to eiiect another circuit adjustment: an element for which the circuit controlled by the switch is n'ovided' a lock and a con lin havim two'- complemental members, one in a unitary structure with the aforesaid element and the other i ra unitary structure with the lock, said lock including adjustable meansoperable thereby and engageable with the plunger and with the coupling member that is in a unitary structure with the'aforesaid ele ment to hold the plunger in the position to -which it is placed against the force of said spring and to lock the two coupling members together when the plunger is in thisposition.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein a spring operates upon the adjustable means of the lock to place this means in its holding adjustment, the locln'in itself being. operated. operating said adjustable means to withdraw'thc same from its holding adjustment. I

4. The structure of claim 2 avhcrein a spring operates upon the adjustable means of the lock'to place this means in itsholding adjustment. the lock. in itself being opcralcd, operating said adjustable means to withdraw the same from its holding adjustment.

5. An electric switch including a contact actuatingmember; a spring operable upon this member to move it to one of two alterenatlve positions to effect one circuit adjust-'- former and switch ha'ving'separable' po ment, said member being movable, against the force of said spring, to the other alternative position to efiect anothercircuit ad 'f vjustmentj a transformer having" the 'bircm of one of its {windings gov'ernec y t lie switch; a lock; and a housing the .tr

tions, one portion being inoneiini'tarystruj 'ture witlrth'e transformer and th ot'lieifjb ing in another unitarystructure' vv'vit'h ftl lock,- said-lock including adjustable meansoperable thereby and en'gageable' with' the contact actuating member and withthe l ens ing portion that is in a unitary structure with the transformer to hold the contact actuating;

member in the "position to which it is 'pla'ced against-the force-of said spring and to lockv the two housingportions together when the.

' contact actuating member is in thisposi'tion." 6. An electric switchincluding a co ntact" actuating plunger; a spring pressing 'outwardly upon the plunger and'serving to place" it in its outer position to efi' ect one circuit adjustment, saidplunger-being movabl'ednwardly, against the 'force.of said 'spring'toaii alternative position to efi'ectii'nother circuit v ad ustment; a transformer having the circuit 5 of one of its windingsgoverned 'byl'tlie switchra" lock; and a housing for the trans former andswi tch havingseparable portions,

one portion being in one unitary; struct with the transforn'ier and theother being Ill anotherunitary. structure with the lock, said lock including adjustable means operable thereby and'engageable with the Plungerandwiththe housing Portio'nthat is" in a' unitary sti'ucture \vith the transformer-to holdj the plunger inthe position to whichl'itis ed; against the force of said springfan'd to lock j the two housing portions togeth e'r when' plunger'is in this position.

'i'fThc structure of claim 5 wherein spring operates upon the adjustable ineans of' the lock to place this means n 1ts-holding ad ustment the lock, in itself being operatcd,operating said adj ustablemeans to withdraw the same from its holdinglad j ustment. v

8. The structure of claim 6 wheiriu a spring operates upon the adjustable means of the lock to place t-his'mcans in its lu ldingad z justment, the lo'ek,in itself'bcing operated,

operating said ad u'stablc'means to Withdraw! the same from. its holding adjustment.

9. An electric switch including av contact actuating plunger: an clement for whit-lithe circuit controlled by the switch is ]')l(-)\'l(l((l; a lock: and a coupling having two complemental members, one in a unitary structure with the aforesaid element for which the. cir-" cuit controlled by the switch is provided and the other in a unitary structure with the lock, said lock including adjustable means operable thereb and engageable'with the plunger and with t 1e coupling member that is in unitary structure with the aforesaid element to hold the plunger in one adjustment and to lock the two coupling members together when the plunger is in this position.

10. The structureof claim 9 wherein a spring operates upon the adjustable meansof the lock to place this means in its holding adjustment, the lock in itself being operated, operating said adjustable means to withdraw the same from its holdin adjustment.

11 An electric switch including a contact actuating plunger; a transformer having the circuit of one of its windings governed by the switch; a lock; anda housing for the transformer and switch having separable portions, one portion being in one unitary structure with the transformer and the other being in another unitary structure with the lock, said lock including adjustable means operable thereb and engageable with the plunger and with the housing portion that is in a unitary structure with the transformer to hold the plunger in a position to which it is placed and to lock the two housing'portions together when the plungeris in this position.

12. An electric switch including a contact actuating member; an element for which the circuit controlled by the switch is provided;

a lock; and a-coupling having two complemental members, one 1n a unitary structure with the aforesaid element for which the circuit controlled bv the switch is provided and the other in a unitary structure with the lock, said lock including adjustable means operable thereby an'd engageable with the contact actuating member and with the coupling member that is in a unitary structure with the aforesaid element to hold the contact actuating member in one adjustment and to lock the two coupling members together when the contact actuating member is in this position,

wherein a spring operates upon the adjustable means of the lock to plate this means in its holding adjustment, the lock, in itself being operated, operating said adjustable means to withdraw the same from its holding adjustment and wherein a spring operates upon the adjustable means of the lock to place this means in its holding'adj-ustment, the lock, in itself being operated, operating said adjustable means to withdraw the same from its holding adjustment. 7 v

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name.

. I HARRY A. DOUGLAS. 

